Noura Hussein is sentenced to death, reflecting the general suffering and plight of Sudanese women; our eyes are set on religious leaders to take on a far more robust role in the advance of human rights and compassion

By Teresa Sfeir

On May 10^th of this year, Noura Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging. Her crime is the murder of her husband in an act of self-defense. At the age of 16, Noura’s father, who is her legal guardian, forced her to sign a marriage contract to Abdulrahman Mohamed Hammad. As a result, Noura fled from Khartoum to her aunt’s place in Sennar. There, she continued her high school education.

Three years later, she received word that the wedding plans were cancelled. She returned home, only to find out that her parents had tricked her. Six days after the wedding ceremony, her husband raped her with the help of three male relatives. When he tried to rape her again the following day, she stabbed him with a kitchen knife in her frenzied attempt to break free, causing his death.

Less than a week after Noura was sentenced to death, news broke of another Sudanese woman who was lashed 75 times for marrying a man without her father’s approval.

Analysis

Noura Hussein’s story has sparked worldwide interest, especially on social media, and a Justice for Noura campaign has been trending on Twitter. This has led Sudanese activists to speak up about the many violations of women’s rights in the country.

“There are tens and thousands of cases like Noura in our community that no one knows about,” said leading women’s activist Amal Habbani, who was detained for weeks after taking part in opposition protests.

Tara Carey of Equality Now notes in defense of Noura, “The constitution […] provides that the ‘state shall protect women from injustice and promote gender equality,’ and that ‘all persons are equal before the law and are entitled, without discrimination, to the equal protection of the law.’”

On the other hand, we see that the Sudanese law fails to protect women. According to Amnesty International, Sudanese law allows for girls to be married off from the age of 10. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (also known as UN Women) states that about one in three girls are married  before they are 18, and marital rape is not considered a crime. Moreover, Sudan is ranked 165 out of 188 countries on the UN’s Gender Inequality Index.

The scene is not so different for the women of South Sudan. A study released in late November 2017 found that violence against women and girls in the country is double the global average.

Theological Reflection and Recommendations

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20).

In a fallen world such as ours, those who are in power often abuse their position as they seek to control those who are vulnerable and marginalized. The Revelation passage paints a Christ who shows us a different way. He, who is all-powerful, could barge right into the house if he so chooses. Instead, he patiently stands at the door and knocks. Power, after all, is only used well when it fuels the freedom of another.

As noted above, the violation of women’s rights is not confined to any single religious group. The situation in the predominantly Muslim Sudan is largely mirrored in the predominantly Christian and Traditional African South Sudan. Faith leaders on both sides are therefore all urged to raise awareness of the plight of women and the dangers of domestic violence. The preaching pulpit in both the mosque and the church is an influential regulator of power in MENA societies. We must expect more of our faith leaders in this realm of social violence perpetrated against women.